Game device



G. A. BLANK GAME DEVICE Nov. 26, 1935.

Filed Oct. 6, 1934 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR Gi o/e015 A fiLA/V/I.

WITNESS:

ATTORNEYS 46. A. BLANK Nov. 26, 1935.

GAME DEVICE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 6, 1934 550E054 .zA/v/r.

INVENTOR ATTORNEYS WITNESS: W.

Patented Nov. 26, 1935 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 8 Claims.

This invention relates to new and useful improvements in game devices and more particularly it pertains to a novel game of chance.

A feature of the invention resides in the provision of a game board over which a plurality of gamev pieces may be moved individually and independently of each other, the extent of movement of the game pieces being determined by chance in a novel manner.

A further feature of the invention resides in the novel use of a pack or deck of ordinary playing cards as the means of determining the extent of movement of the game pieces.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the use of the individual cards of a pack or deck of playing cards to effect actual movement of the game pieces relatively to the game board.

Still another feature of the invention resides in the use of the individual cards of a pack or deck of playing cards to effect actual movement of the game pieces relatively to the game board.

Still a further feature of the invention resides in a novel construction and arrangement of parts whereby ordinary playing cards may be employed to move the game pieces relatively to the game board.

Other features of the invention relate to certain novel and improved constructions, arrangements and combinations of parts hereinafter described and particularly pointed out in the claims, the advantages of which will be readily understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

The invention will be clearly understood from the accompanying drawings illustrating the invention in its preferred form and the following detailed description of the constructions therein shown.

In the drawings,

Figure 1 is a top plan view of a game apparatus constructed in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention,

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation thereof,

Figure 3 is a vertical sectional view on a slightly enlarged scale, taken substantially on the line 3-3 of Figure 2,

Figure 4 is a longitudinal sectional view taken substantially on the line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a detail perspective view illustrating the manner in which individual playing cards may be employed to move the game pieces along the surface of the game board,

Figure 6 is a perspective View of one of the game pieces,

Figure 7 is a perspective view of an indicator which I employ, and;

Figure 8 is a perspective view of a portion of the device.

Referring more specifically to the drawings which show a preferred embodiment of the invention, A designates a game board, over which 5 a plurality of game pieces designated B are movable from one end to the other of the game board in simulation of a race. Each game piece is movable through a channel or slot it, as will be hereinafter described. 10

By reference to Figure 3 of the drawings it will be apparent that the game board may be constructed from a plurality of strip like members I I, suitably secured together in spaced relation with the spaces between these members being disposed directly beneath the channels or slots ill, in the surface of the game board.

Extending longitudinally of the game board, there are angularly disposed channels arranged in pairs with the channels of each pair intersecting each other. Inasmuch as these channels are all of the same construction, I will describe but one. In the present embodiment, however, I employ four such sets of channels and they are designated C, D, E and F.

Referring to Figure 3, it will be apparent that each set of channels comprises two channels l5 and l 6 which cross or intersect each other in angular relation. These channels may be formed by slotting the adjacent side edges of the'strips l l, in V formation as shown.

By reference to Figure 6, it will be seen that each of the game pieces B, comprises a body portion 2! herein in the form of a horse and rider, which body portion has one or more extensions 2| projecting therefrom. A base portion 22 is provided which is so formed as to be received in one leg of a slot l5, and one leg of a slot IE, to provide for mounting of the game pieces upon the game board as well as means to guide their travel therealong in the channels or slots Hi.

In playing of the game, I prefer to employ a deck of ordinary playing cards to both determine which of the game pieces is to be moved and also to effect actual movement of the game pieces and I will now describe the manner in which this is accomplished. When playing cards are employed as mentioned, each game piece is given a designation character which corresponds to a suit as for example, reading from top to bottom of Figure 1, the game pieces are designated, spades, hearts, diamonds and clubs.

The pack of cards is shuflied and a card taken from the top and reversed to expose its face. Assuming that the card thus drawn is a spade,

r 7, and each comprises a body portion 55, a. standit would be inserted into either the channel or slot I5 or I6 of the game piece designated spades, whereupon it engages the extension of the game piece and moves the game piece along its channel or slot Ill a distance equal to the length of the playing card. A second playing card is then drawn from the deck and likewise used to move that game piece whose designation corresponds to the suit of the card drawn. This method of play is continued until one of the game pieces reaches the outer end of its channel or slot in, whereupon it is declared the winner and the pieces are all returned to their starting position in order that a new play may be had. In placing the cards in the channels or slots l5 and 16, they are positioned in angularly disposed relation to each other as shown in Figure 5. For example, if the first card is inserted in the channel or slot IS, the next one would be inserted in the channel or slot I6 and so on until a game piece has reached the winning position. This manner of use insures that the playing cards which are relatively thin, will not pass by one another and therefore insures proper operation of the game pieces.

In Figure 8 I have shown one means for returning the game pieces to the starting position and this means consists of a T-shaped member X having a stem 49 and arms 4|, from which a plurality of projections 42 extend. The projections 42 occupy positions in their respective channels or slots between the strips H, and the free end of the stem 48 is provided with a manipulating portion 43. This device is of a length substantially equal to the length of the playing board so that when it is in its innermost position, the projections 42 will be at the finish positions of the game pieces. Thus, to reset the game pieces at the starting position it is only necessary tograsp the manipulating portion 43 and move the T-shaped member X to the left in Figure 1, whereupon the projections 42 traveling through the channels or slots between the strips II will engage the game pieces and return them to the starting position. The T-shaped member may then be returned to the position shown.

When the game is embodied in a horse race, I provide means by which the game may be more realistic. That is to say, certain game pieces may be handicapped so that all of the game pieces will not have an equal chance of winning. This is accomplished in the following manner.

Adjacent each channel or slot l there is a channel or slot 50, and these channels or slots 50 each have a designating device carrying identifying characters in the form of suit designations, the designation corresponding to that of the channel or slot immediately to the left of the said designating devices 5|.

These designating devices are shown in Figure ard 56 and a base 51, which is of substantially the same construction as the base 22 of the game piece. These designating devices travel through the channels or slot 50, and are moved therethrough by playing cards which are inserted in channels or slots 60 and BI in the same manner as previously described in connection with the channels or slots [5 and 16.

The handicappings are determined in the following manner. Five cards are drawn from the deck and distributed in the channels or slots 6!] and BI according to the suits, and in so doing, the designatingdevices are moved forwardly a distance equal to the total length of the card or cards inserted in the channels or slots 60 and t I, thus establishing the odds against the several game pieces. This is so, for example, if in drawing the five cards to establish the handicappings, three of these cards number of clubs remaining in the deck would be reduced by three and consequently the chances of drawing clubs is less than that of other suits for the-reason that there are fewer clubs remaining in the deck. 10

The arms 4| of the member X are provided with projections 10 which operate to return the designating devices 5| to initial position simultaneously with the return of the game pieces B to the starting position.

From the foregoing it will be apparent that the present invention provides a new and novel game device based wholly on chance, which is extremely interesting in play and yet which is simple and cheap to manufacture.

While the invention has been illustrated in its preferred form, it is to be understood that it is not to be limited to the specific embodiment shown,

and that it may be practiced in other forms without departing from the spirit thereof.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new, is:

1. A game device comprising in combination, a game board having a plurality of channels in its upper surface and secondary channels extending through the body of the board, game pieces movable individually through said first mentioned channels, and means movable through said secondary channels for effecting individual movement of said game pieces through the channels.

2. A game device comprising in combination, a game board having a plurality of channels in its exposed surface, each of which channels has a distinguishing designation, game pieces movable individually through said channels, and a plurality of elements having distinguishing designations for moving said game pieces through their respective channels.

3. A game device comprising a game board having a plurality of channels extending longitudinally through the body thereof, game pieces movable over the surface of said game board, and a plurality of elements adapted to be moved individually through said channels for moving the game pieces along the surface of the game board.

4. A game device comprising a game board having a plurality of channels extending longitudinally through the body thereof, game pieces movable over the surface of said game board, and a plurality of elements adapted to be moved individually through said channels for moving the game pieces along the surface of the game board, and means for removing said separate elements from the channels and simultaneously returning the game pieces to starting position.

5. A game apparatus comprising in combination, a game board having a plurality of angularly disposed channels extending longitudinally thereof, said channels being arranged in pairs? with the channels of each pair intercepting each other, game pieces movable over the surface of said game board, extensions projecting from said game pieces into said channels, and means insertable into said channels for engagement with the extensions of the game pieces for moving said game pieces over the surface of the game board.

6. A game apparatus comprising in combination, a game board having a plurality of angularly disposed channels extending longitudinally were of the club suit, the 5 thereof, said channels being arranged in pairs with the channels in each pair intercepting each other, game pieces movable over the surface of said game board, an extension projecting from each game piece the extension of each game piece being movable through one of said channels, and a plurality of elements movable individually -,through said channels thereby to move the game pieces over the surface of the game board.

7. A game apparatus comprising. in combination, a. game board having a plurality of angularly disposed channels extending longitudinally thereof, said channels being arranged in pairs with the channels in each pair intercepting each other, a plurality of game pieces movable over the surface of said game board, there being one game piece associated with each of said pairs of channels, an extension projecting from each of said game pieces into one of the channels of the pair of channels with which it is associated, and means movable through said channels into engagement with the extensions of the game pieces, thereby to move the game pieces along the surface of the game board.

8. A game apparatus comprising in combination, a game board having a plurality of angularly disposed channels extending longitudinally thereof, said channels being arranged in pairs with the channels in each pair intercepting each other, a plurality of game pieces movable over the surface of said game board, there being one game piece associated with each of said pairs of channels, an extension projecting from each of said game pieces into one of the channels of the pair of channels with which it is associated, and means movable through said channels into engagement with the extensions of the game pieces, thereby to move the game pieces along the surface of the game board, said last mentioned means comprising a plurality of separate elements movable through the channels in angu- 20 lar relation to each other.

GEORGE A. BLANK. 

